Letter-box



(No Model.)

W. K. LETT WITNESSES: INVEN TOR J24 l iw/u Mafia Egg? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

XVALLAOE PEOK, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,194, dated June 16, 1896.

Application fil d August 30, 1895. Serial No. 560,963. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALLACE PECK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter- Boxes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to devices for delivering and receiving mail, and particularly to that class thereof which are adapted to be secured to the door of a dwelling or similar building, and the object is to provide an effective device of this class which is simple in construction and operation and which may be readily attached, or secured, to a door; and with this and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction, operation and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form apart, in which- Figure l is a view of the upper side of a secti on of a door with my improvement attached; Fig. 2, a view of the outer side thereof; Fig. 3, a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 a section on the line 4 4; of Fig. 2.

In the practice of my invention, I provide a plate A, which is adapted to be secured to the inner side of a door, a section of which is shown at B. The plate A is provided with the central oblong opening in which is placed a movable plate 0, which is mounted on a rod D, which extends horizontally of the central opening in the plate A, and on which the plate Eis revoluble. The plate 0 is provided longitudinally of its center and on its inner side with a tubular casing (1. Through this the rod D extends, and unmovably mounted on said rod is a spring E, which is adapted, in the operation of the device, to throw the plate into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

The plate A is provided at each end of the central oblong opening with inwardly-directed wings a, and secured thereto (1'. e., secured so as not to be moved in using the apparatus) is a plate E the inner side of which extends to, or approximately to, the tubular casing d, secured to the plate 0, and the outer side of which extends outwardly and is preferably curved downwardly, as shown at E.

It will be understood, of course, that the plate A and the plate 0 are on the outer side of the door and the plate Eextendsinwardly through the door, and formed in the door is an opening, and the outer portion of which corresponds in form with the plate 0, which is cut away to disclose the indicating plate or body when it is moved to indicating position, and the upper and lower sides of which are inclined upwardly and downwardly, as shown at b and b, respectively.

The plate 0 is provided with four openings F, which are preferably arranged in a line near the lower side thereof, said openings being also preferably square in form, and mounted at the back of the said plate 0, and back of said openings F, is a sliding plate G, which is supported in bearings g and to which is secured a vertical plate 11, provided near each end with an oblong slot h, and secured to the sliding plate G are pins or projections g, which extend through said slots h.

Secured to the under side of the plate E and centrally thereof by means of a central post is a gong or bell is, and secured to the under side of the plate E, at one end thereof, is a pin or projection L, on the outer end of which is pivotally mounted a lever M, which is provided at its lower end with an outwardlyprojecting arm Z, and mounted on the pin or projection L is a spring N, one end of which is secured to said pin or projection and the other end of which is connected with said lever.

Formed on or secured to one of the wings to, opposite the lever M, is a lug O, the inner end of which is inclined outwardly and upwardly and said lug is adapted to operate in connection with the pin g, secured to the sliding plate G.

The plate A is provided with an inwardlydirected flange P, which projects into and forms the bottom of the opening in the door, as shown in Fig. 3, and arranged centrally thereof is a sliding tumbler or locking-bolt R,

and said tumbler or bolt is adapted to oper-.

ate by means of a key inserted at S, as shown in Fig. 1, or in place of this device any desired form of lock may be employed.

The tumbler or locking-bolt R is designed to hold the plate 0 in the position shown in full lines in Figs. 3 and 4, and when said tumbler or bolt is depressed by means of the key said plate 0 will be thrown into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig.

The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and is substantially as follows: In the normal position of the parts they appear from the outside in the position shown in Fig 1, and when mail is to be delivered to the postman, or collector, it is placed on the plate E, on the inside of the door, and the sliding plate G is manipulated from the inside, so that the letters M A IL will show through the separate openings F, as shown in said figure, said letters being formed in the ordernamed on the sliding plate G. hen the postman arrives, he sees there is mail for collection and by inserting the key and operating the tumbler or bolt R the plate 0 will be thrown into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and the letters or other mail on the plate E will slide out of the upper chute, and at the same time any mail to be delivered to the house may be inserted in the chute beneath the plate (J. \Vhen the plate 0 is thrown into the horizontal position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8, the inclined surface of the lug O strikes the adjacent pin or projection g and throws the sliding plate G to one side, so that the letters thereof will not show through the openings F, and the postman before leaving throws up the plate G into the position shown in Figs. land 4, and when more mail is placed upon the plate E for delivery for the postman the lever M is operated from the inner side to draw back the sliding plate 0, so that the letters thereon will show through the openings F on the outside of the door, this operation being performed by the arm at of the lever M, operating in connection with the adjacent pin g on the sliding plate.

When the plate 0 is thrown down into the horizontal position, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, by means of the spring E, the inner side thereof strikes and sounds the gong 7c, and notice is thus given to the occupants of the house that the postman has arrived.

My invention is not limited to the exact form, construction and arrangement of the various parts thereof, as shown and described, and I therefore reserve the right to make all such alterations therein as may fairly come within the scope of the invention.

Having fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patcut- 1. A mail delivering and receiving device, comprising a plurality of chutes, a spring-operated centrally-pivoted plate, placed in an opening in the door, a plate as E, unlnovably secured in the said opening, and extending inwardly, and a locking device by means of which said pivotally-supported plate may be locked, in the closed position, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination with a door or structure having an opening for receiving and delivering mail, of a plate with a central pivot pivoted in, and normally closing said opening, but adapted to turn, to uncover the opening, a spring acting on the pivoted plate in the direction to move it to open position, and a second plate inside the pivoted plate and extending inwardly from near the central pivot for supporting mail to be collected.

3. The combination with a door or structure having an opening for mail of a plate normally closing the opening but adapted to turn to uncover it, a pivot for said plate at or near the central line of said plate, whereby the opening in the door will be divided by the pivot into parts, one above and one below the pivot, a spring on the pivot tending to turn the pivoted plate and two 1nail-passages, one communicating with the opening above the pivot and one with the opening below the pivot.

4. A mail delivering and receiving device, comprising a spring-operated pivotally-supported plate which is placed in an opening in the door, a plate as E, unmovably secured in the said opening, and extending inwardly and constituting a chute, a locking device by means of which said pivoted plate may be locked in the closed position, said plate E, being provided on its lower side with a gong which is adapted to be sounded by the sprin operated plate when released from the lock, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination with a door or structure having an opening for mail, a plate with a central pivot normally closing said opening, a plate inside the pivoted plate, and extending inwardly to support mail to be collected, a gong in position to be struck by said pivoted plate in the act of uncovering the opening.

6. The combination with a door or structure having an opening for mail, of a pivoted plate normally covering the opening, said pivoted plate being cut away to disclose the indicating-body when it is moved to indicating position, an indicating-body carried by said pivoted plate, means operated by hand, for moving said indicating-body into indicating position, and automatic means operated by movement of the pivoted plate to withdraw the indicating-body.

7. The combination with a door provided with an opening formed therein, of a plate as A, provided with side wings as a, a springoperated plate mounted in a central opening formed in the plate A, said spring-operated plate being provided with a plurality of holes, a sliding plate mounted back of said holes, on which are printed or formed designating-letters, which are adapted to show through said holes, a lock for securing the pivoted plate in. the closed position, and an inwardly-directed plate secured in said opening, substantially as shown and described.

8. The combination with a door provided with an opening formed therein, of a plate as A, provided with side wings as a, a springoperated plate mounted in the central opening formed in the plate A, said spring-operated plate being provided with a plurality of holes, a sliding plate mounted back of said holes, on which are printed or formed designatin g-letters, which are adapted to show through said holes, a lock for securing the pivoted plate in a closed position, and an inwardlydirected plate secured in said opening, the said inwardly-directed plate being provided with a gong adapted to be operated by the spring-operated, pivoted plate, substantially asshown and described.

9. The combination'with a door provided with an opening formed therein, of a plate as A, provided with side wings as a, a springoperated plate mounted in the central open ing formed in the plate A, said spring-operated plate being provided with a plurality of holes, a sliding plate mounted back of said holes, on which are printed or formed designatin g-letters,which are adapted to show through said holes, a lock for securing the pivoted plate in a closed position, and an inwardlydirected plate unmovably secured in said opening, the said inwardly-directed plate being provided with a gong adapted to be operated by the spring-operated, pivoted plate, means inside the door for moving the sliding plate to indicating position, and means for retractin g said plate, substantially as shown and described.

10. The combination with a door provided with an opening formed therein, of a plate as A, provided with side wings as a, a springoperated plate mounted in the central opening formed in the plate A, said spring-operated plate being provided with a plurality of holes, a sliding plate mounted back of said holes, on which are printed or formed designating-letters,which are adapted to show through said holes, a lock for securing the pivoted plate in a closed position, and an inwardlydirected plate provided with a gong adapted to be operated by the spring-operated pivoted plate, and 'means for operating the sliding plate, consisting of pins secured thereto, which extend inwardly, at each end thereof, and a pivotally-supported lever on one end for moving said plate in one direction, and the lug or shoulder at the other end for moving said plate in the opposite direction when the spring-operated plate is thrown open, substantially as shown and described.

11. A mail delivering and receiving device, which is adapted to be connected with a door, and to be secured in an opening formed therein, comprising a spring-operated pivotallysupported plate, 0, a plate E, unmovably secured in said opening, and extending inwardly, means for retaining the spring-operated plate in a closed position, said plate E, being also provided on its lower side with a gong which is adapted to be sounded by the spring-operated plate, when the latter is released from the closed position, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 29th day of August, 1895.

. \VALLACE PECK.

\Vitnesses:

0. GERsr, S. L. HAWKSHURST. 

